Didier Drogba has defended Jose Mourinho over accusations of racism from Galatasaray in a message addressed to his former club.
After Galatasaray were held to a 0-0 draw in a fierce derby clash against Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig, Mourinho criticised the home bench for “jumping like monkeys” after an early challenge.
Mourinho also claimed the match would have been a “disaster” had a Turkish referee been selected to oversee the contest instead of Slovenian official Slavko Vincic, and Galatasaray responded with a strong statement accusing the Fenerbahce boss of racism.
The statement, posted to Galatasaray’s official website with the headline “Say no to racism”, read: “Since the commencement of his managerial duties in Turkey, Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho has persistently issued derogatory statements directed towards the Turkish people.
“Today, his discourse has escalated beyond merely immoral comments into unequivocally inhumane rhetoric. We hereby formally declare our intention to initiate criminal proceedings concerning the racist statements made by Jose Mourinho, and shall accordingly submit official complaints to UEFA and FIFA.
“Furthermore, we shall diligently observe the stance adopted by Fenerbahce – an institution professing to uphold ‘exemplary moral values’ – in response to the reprehensible conduct exhibited by their manager.”
Drogba, coached by Mourinho at Chelsea over two spells, sought to intervene in the dispute on Thursday, as he wrote a message directly to supporters of Galatasaray – the club he played for in 2013/14.
Dear @GalatasaraySK
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) February 26, 2025
You know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!!
We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it.
Ive seen the recent comments about Jose…
The 46-year-old Ivorian wrote on X: “Dear @GalatasaraySK, you know how proud I was to wear the yellow and red jersey and my love for the most decorated club in Turkey!!
“We all know how passionate and heated rivalries can be, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience it. I’ve seen the recent comments about Jose Mourinho.
“Trust me when I tell you I have known Jose for xx years and he is not a racist and history (past and recent ) is there to prove it. Let’s focus on our games, support our brilliant lions and let’s win the league to get close to our 5 ⭐️ How can my “Dad” be a racist 🤷🏾♂️ Come on guys.”
Drogba’s ex-Chelsea team-mate Michael Essien, also brought to Stamford Bridge during Mourinho’s time, shared an image of him and his former boss on Thursday in an apparent show of support.
♥️♥️♥️ pic.twitter.com/s7cAdizbHg
— Michael Essien® (@MichaelEssien) February 26, 2025
Essien also shared an old video of Mourinho saying he considers himself a father figure to the former Ghana midfielder.
Mourinho has repeatedly criticised the standard of refereeing in the Super Lig since taking over as Fenerbahce boss last summer. He was hit with a one-match ban and fined almost £15,000 for an extraordinary rant after Fenerbahce’s 3-2 victory at Trabzonspor in November, in which he said the Super Liga is “too grey” and “smells bad”.
Fenerbahce are fully behind Mourinho after his latest outburst, though, with vice-president Acun Ilicali telling Sky Sports News: “Jose Mourinho is just describing the emotion of the bench by using the word monkey, that’s all.
“When I say you are running like a rabbit, I don’t say that you are a rabbit. So when I say you are jumping like a monkey, it doesn’t mean you are a monkey. You can clearly understand that Jose Mourinho had no intention to be racist, in the words or behind the words or around the words.
“That’s a very clear situation that is trying to be manipulated by Galatasaray’s board, and we are used to it in Turkey. Jose is very important for us, we are very happy to be with him, and as a club I can clearly say that we are behind our coach, we are supporting him 100%.”
